


Priceless

by TheRavenistheWritingDesk



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Other, Piers Nivans Lives, Post-Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 09:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12208944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRavenistheWritingDesk/pseuds/TheRavenistheWritingDesk
Summary: How am I alive? How long has it been since that day? Why was he the one I reached out to?A fic based off an AU where Piers survives, but also translated into a Fantasy setting. This is told from Piers' pov, and may in the future become a short comic.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> If you're curious about what I use for references towards Race and Classes along with other references I may use for the setting; The answer is Pathfinder.

He slowly stepped out of the rubble, wincing at the sunlight that reached him through the trees. His fingers gripping his injured arm, as his vision adjusted to the dim lighting.

 _I’m…Alive....How?_ He winced as he felt a low throbbing in his head. _Did my Captain…?_ His hazel eyes widened and he clenched his teeth shaking his head. _Get it together Nivans, I remember; I pushed the Captain out of the ruin just as it was collapsing._

He could still hear his Captain calling his name; see the look of despair his expression became before everything had gone dark.

“Wake up Puppy; you’ll catch a cold sleeping there.”

Piers opened his eyes, slowly as he was pulled from the memory. He felt the stiff branch under his chest and with a shifting of his position moved to sit upright. He glanced down with hazel eyes to where his bow had fallen at the base of the tree partially hidden by freshly fallen snow, and the cloaked figure that stood nearby it; piercing blue eyes staring back at him.

“Are you ever going to stop calling me that?”

“No.” He could almost see the smirk on the pale man’s face from his position. _Bastard,_ he shook the thought away and jumped down from the branch.

He shivered slightly, tightening his scarf around his neck. It would teach him to forget his cloak, and he leaned down to retrieve his bow as he felt a warm weight press down on his shoulders and surround him.

It caused him to pause and turn to stare at the red haired male. “Aren’t you cold?” There was a shrug of his shoulders.

“I’ll survive without it, you’re the one shivering.” Sometimes he forgot he was more resistant to the elements unlike Piers. “We should head back, it’s getting late.”

“Did you find another job?”

“Are you worried about me Puppy?” Piers clicked his tongue in response.

“Why would I be worried about you?” Jake shook his head in response and chuckled.

“So why were you sleeping that tree?” They started walking down the snowy path back toward where they had been staying. It was just a small cabin they had rented from an old farmer that was kind enough to offer it to them.

“I had been tracking a deer while you were looking for work. I followed it all the way out here, and I climbed the tree to get a better shot at it.” He paused in his explanation, adjusting the heavy cloak that had been draped over his shoulders earlier. “I must have dozed off while I was up there.”

They walked in relative silence after that, Piers’ gaze far away. _How long has it been since that day?_


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers gets restless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bad at summaries.

Piers paced around the cabin, restless. Sometimes he would pause his pacing to stare out the cabin window. _How much longer? How long has he been there?_ He let out a sigh, shaking his head. _This is ridiculous, why do I care how long he’s been away?_

He moved over to a chair and sat down with another sigh, resting his head in his hands. _I need to get out of this cabin, I feel like I’m going to lose it. Maybe I can find some work on the outskirts of town._

Piers thought back to the farmer that had rented the cabin to them without any questions, _maybe I could help them, it couldn’t hurt to try. It’s the least I can do to repay them._

He moved to his feet, retrieving his quiver and bow before he left the cabin behind. He adjusted his cloak over the quiver as he felt the chill of the winter morning air brush against him. As he moved the only sounds that filled his ears was the crunching of snow beneath his boots and his quiet breathing.

His mind started to wander, _how long has it been? Everything's a blur, how did I survive the ruin collapsing? When did I find that town?_ His feet stopped, staring off towards the small town. _Why did I contact Jake of all people?_

“Oh, you’re one of the travelers grandfather let stay in the cabin!” A woman’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and his hazel gaze shifted to the young woman that was running towards him.

“Your grandfather was the one who let us stay there?” He didn’t recognize her when he thought back to the faces of the family he had seen when Jake had been speaking with them. The woman gave a nod, she had a bright smile.

“Yes that’s right, grandfather had a beautiful story that he always told me about the cabin. Apparently there was a traveler who had inspired him.” He listened to her as she spoke, her voice warm and full of energy as her eyes lit up.

“I see, is it possible I could speak with him? I want to thank him.” The woman gave an energetic nod in response, pivoting on her heels.

“Of course, follow me! I’ll take you right to him, I’m certain he’ll be happy to speak with you.” Piers’ lips quirked into a small smile, _she seems nice._ The smile faltered slightly as he continued to follow her back to the large farm house. _It almost feels like I’m being led to a trap._ Piers’ hands brushed against his bow, feeling the wood beneath his fingertips offered him a small comfort. _If something happens, I’ll be ready._

When they reached the large farmhouse, the woman held the door open for him. She continued to smile brightly, occasionally looking over her shoulder towards town. Piers walked through the door, into the large home. The house was clean and cozy, the crackling of a fire nearby slowly chased away the chill from the air outside. Yet, despite how cozy the room felt; it was empty.

 _I didn’t see anyone outside, they could have been somewhere I couldn’t see them; or this is a trap._ “Where is everyone?”

“That’s strange; I thought they all came inside for lunch. I’ll go check the kitchen and upstairs. Would you check the basement for me? Grandpa’s workshop is down there so he could be there working on something for the little ones. One of us is bound to find them if we split up.”

 _Yeah, definitely a trap; I’ll get answers from playing along though; at least I’m not putting anyone else at risk._ “Alright, where is the entrance to the basement?” She pointed to a door not far from the fireplace.

“Just over there, it should lead you straight down to the basement.” He gave a nod in response, moving toward the door. _I hope someone is still alive down there, I hope I’m not too late._

He glanced over his shoulder to see the woman was already gone, taking in a slow breath through his nose; opened the basement door and descended the stairs.

Everything was too quiet, the silence hanging in the air making it feel thicker than it was. He was grateful for the candles that offered the dim lighting, giving him an advantage in seeing ahead of him. He could hear muffled voices coming from the bottom of the stairs, and older males trying to quiet to higher pitched ones.

The basement was well lit, candles scattered around the room. Three people stood huddled close together in a corner of the room, one of them he recognized as the grandfather. Two children clutching tightly to his legs terrified. Piers moved closer to the group, lifting his free hand to show he meant them no harm.

“You are, one of the travelers from a few days ago. What are you doing down here with us? Did you fall into her trap?” His voice was hoarse, and he let out a wheezing cough.

“I had a feeling it was a trap, I still came; I was hoping to find you all alive.” The old man gave a slow nod, the concern still held within his eyes. “Tell me, who is that woman upstairs? She called you her grandfather.”

“I don’t know much about her I’m afraid. She arrived recently, we had been working in the field; tending to our winter crops when she asked about the cabin. I told her the story about the traveler I once met who was plagued by nightmares that would leave him screaming. Inns would turn him away since he would wake the guests late in the night with the sound. When the traveler told me this, I was moved by his story. I welcomed him into my home and after he left us to continue his travels I built the cabin in his memory. The next thing I know, she had turned my daughter and son in-law into these horrible monsters and trapped us down here. We’ve been down here ever since.” Piers looked from the older man to the children that clung tightly to his legs. _They must be his grandchildren._

“I see you found my _grandfather._ That’s good; I was terribly worried something awful had happened to them.” The woman’s voice spoke up and the children let out a terrified gasp. Piers gripped his bow from under his cloak, readying an arrow. “I found _mother_ and _father_ in the barn; I didn’t think the cows would distract them so easily; I made certain to correct their behavior though. It is a shame your friend isn’t here to join you.”

Piers bristled slightly, his grip tightening against his bow. “We’re not friends.”

“Oh? I see, your companion won’t miss you much then.” He frowned, though a question like a low whisper started to form in the back of his mind; _would Jake notice I’m gone? Would he care?_

_  
_

“Do you have a name?” He wasn’t certain why, but he felt the need to buy time. _Time for what? Reinforcements aren’t coming for me; the Captain isn’t coming for me. He’s not coming for me, why would he?_ He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. _No, I’m on my own; my priority is making certain they survive._

“Why do you care to know my name? You won’t be alive much longer anyway, so I see no point in telling you.” As she spoke two ghouls took up places at her side, blood coating their faces.

The little girl started to sob loudly at the sight of them. “Mommy, mommy please don’t eat me! I promise to be good!” _The ghouls must have been their parents, so that’s what he meant when he said they had been turned into monsters._

The grandfather tried to calm the little girl down. “I could carry your name with me into the afterlife, to tell all who will listen the name of the one who killed me.” The woman seemed intrigued by this concept.

“I see, very well; my name is Bonnie.” Well he hadn’t been expecting such a normal name.

“Bonnie, I’ll be certain to tell everyone how you ruined the lives of innocent farmers; at your funeral pyre.” Piers took aim with his bow swiftly, firing an arrow into the head of one of the ghouls. The body crumpled to the ground, completely still causing the woman to flinch in surprise. _I’m at a disadvantage in such close quarters, but it will be harder for me to miss my target as well._

“How did you?!”

“You never checked me for a weapon that was your second mistake.” He readied another arrow as the woman glared daggers at him.

“You’ll pay for this!” She shouted pointing towards him, a silent order for the remaining ghoul to attack.

The ghoul lunged as Piers took aim, and crumpled to the ground inches from his feet when he fired the second arrow. That set her on edge and she started to back up the stairs. Piers began preparing a third arrow when he heard the sound of a neck snapping.

He looked up to see Jake standing over her body, staring right at him. “So this is where you ran off to Puppy.” Piers’ eyes widened slightly as he stared back at Jake in shock.

“Jake, what are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you; you weren’t at the cabin when I came back so I followed the trail you left.” _He was looking for me._

“Come on Puppy, let’s head back now. I’m tired and want to get some sleep.” Piers had felt frozen for a moment, lost within his thoughts before a rough grip on his shoulder brought him back to the present.

“Hey, snap out of it Puppy. You can make friends tomorrow.” He gave a slow nod, glancing over his shoulder towards the huddled remnants of the family.

“I’m sorry; I’ll come back tomorrow to help clean up this mess.” Piers promised and the grandfather gave a nod.

“Thank you for protecting us from her.” Piers gave the man a sad smile, before he was pulled away.

They walked back to the cabin without a word; Piers would sometimes glance at Jake as they walked. _I wonder what he’s thinking about._ They reached the cabin and Piers moved towards the small fireplace against the wall to start a fire. The cabin felt colder than when he left it. Jake removed his cloak and fell back onto one of the cots with an exhale.

“You should have left a note if you were planning to run off and play hero.” The words caught him off guard and he turned away from the fire, slowly removing his cloak as he stared towards Jake.

“Were you worried about me?” His question was met with silence and as he drew closer to the cot he noticed Jake was already sleeping.

He sat nearby, watching the slow rise and fall of Jakes chest; _was he worried? It doesn’t make sense that he would be._ Piers shook his head, moving by the fire where he curled up. He felt exhausted from dealing with the witch and her ghouls. The questions circling slowly within the confines of his mind, lulling him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I'm mean to characters I love. At least she was really bad at setting traps. I'm not sorry. Also an apology to anyone with the name "Bonnie" I'm sure some of you would set better traps than this one. There is also nothing wrong with your name.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers is great with kids, is a hard worker and doesn't know just how cute he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took so long to get this out to you all, also seriously summaries are hard to do without giving things away.

Piers had started a routine of visiting the old farmer and his grand children while Jake would look for mercenary work in town, Piers helped the farmer with the winter crops. It kept him busy, and he learned a bit about what crops grew during winter and how to keep them alive. The farmer also taught him how to cook certain recipes with the same crops; though he was also teaching his grand-daughter how to cook as well, the information was still helpful. 

The children seemed to grow rather attached to him after the trauma with the witch had passed, sometimes when he was taking a break they would run up to him and beg him to show them more of his archery. Rici the little boy wanted him to teach him how to use a bow just like him, and would set up targets for Piers in different places on the farm and time him with an hourglass; watching their eyes light up when he hit the targets made him smile.

As the sun started to set; Jake arrived at the farm and they returned to the cabin together. The walks were normally rather quiet, outside of the normal banter of Piers asking about his efforts in finding work in town. Piers didn’t mind the quiet though; it was an opportunity to let his mind wander. Piers listened to the snow as it crunched under his boots, staring towards the sky as he thought about what he was going to make for them to eat; their options were rather limited after all, when he noticed Jake was staring at him.

“What is it?” Piers asked, Jake stopped staring; looking ahead with a light chuckle.

“You’ve been smiling since we left.” Piers was a bit surprised at the observation, he hadn’t even realized he was still smiling.

“The children have a lot of energy, helping them has been nice.” Piers knew it wouldn’t last forever though, Jake would find a job that took them to another town and Piers would have to say goodbye. Piers stared into the distance for a moment as he thought about it. _I don’t have to go with Jake, I could stay with them; so why?_

“You alright Puppy?” Piers was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just cold; it’ll be nice once spring returns.” Jake chuckled and Piers almost smiled grateful his lie wasn’t that awful. Piers looked up at the winter sky, taking in the colors of the setting sun; the way the oranges and reds contrasted the gray.

They reached the cabin safely, and Jake took up his usual position on one of the wooden chairs. The way his head was tilted back, and the fact he still wore his cloak; told him just how tired Jake was.

“Did you have any luck finding work?” The sigh he received in response as he moved towards the fireplace told him enough.

“There’s some kind of festival tomorrow, so most of the work has been helping them prepare for it. They don’t pay a lot though, once it’s over there will probably be better paying jobs.” Piers looked up from his work by the fireplace, he hadn’t heard about the festival until Jake had told him. Banod never mentioned it, not that Piers ever asked him many questions; the fieldwork had kept him busy enough to keep him from feeling restless.

“Do you know what kind of festival it is?” Piers adjusted as he set the last log down, brushing the dirt from his hands onto his cloak.

“I didn’t ask, but I can find out.” Jake shifted his angle in the chair, staring at Piers with a quirked brow. “Why?”

“I could ask Banod if the children would like to attend the festival, after what they went through; I’m sure they’d enjoy it.”

“Who’s Banod?” The question almost caught Piers off guard before he remembered that Jake didn’t spend as much time with the family as he had been.

“He’s the old farmer that let us stay here.”

“Oh.” Jakes head tilted back again, Piers shifted his footing slightly so he could have a better view of his expression. Jakes eyes were closed, but Piers could tell he wasn’t sleeping. “What is it?”

“If you’re tired why not just sleep on the cot?”

“I don’t want to go to sleep yet, I’ll sleep when I’m ready.” Piers didn’t comment further on the subject, his brows furrowing slightly. He turned his gaze away from Jake, to the rest of the cabin so he wasn’t staring at him longer.

“Are you hungry then? I can make us something to eat.” Piers hadn’t cooked for the both of them in awhile, though he didn’t have much to cook; outside of some of the winter crops Banod had given him. “We don’t have much though, mostly just vegetables.” If he wanted meat he’d have to go outside and track down another deer, he didn’t know how long that would take him though; Jake would likely be sleeping by the time he returned if he found anything at all. _I’d rather not waste our rations either._

Piers moved over to his bag, opening it and searching through it; retrieving his flint and steel so he could light the fire. “There’s a tavern in town, we can go there.” Piers looked up and almost lost his balance from the comfortable squat. Jake was leaning over his shoulder; _I didn’t even hear him leave the chair._

“It’s rare you ever suggest something like that.” Piers knew money was important to Jake, so hearing him offering it as an option was one of the last things he’d expect; his light grip on his flint and steel, the cold metal reminding him about the fire waiting to be lit.

“It won’t hurt to have a proper meal, rather than just vegetables and rations.” Piers stared at him for a long moment before chuckling lightly.

“I can’t argue with that, a proper meal sounds nice.” He paused as he shifted his grip on the flint and steel so they didn’t fall into the log pile. “I’ll meet you outside, then we can head out.” He needed to return his equipment to his bag, not that it would take him very long. Jake gave a nod, and ruffled Piers’. He swatted at the hand, but not as harshly as he used to in response to the action.

_His hands are warm._ Piers shook the thought from his head, and quickly returned the flint and steel to his bag; brushing snow off his boots and rising to his feet after adjusting his cloak so it was wrapped tighter around him as he made his way to the door.

Jake hadn’t been kept waiting long, Piers giving a nod towards him once he stepped out. The walk to the small town was short enough so the quiet never became uncomfortable; actually the silence was rather pleasant. His gaze shifted from staring ahead, to Jake, before settling on the stars above them that filled the winter sky.

_This is the first time I’ve really been in town; I can see some of the work they’re putting in for the festival Jake mentioned. I wonder what kind of festival it’ll be._

“If you keep spacing out like that Puppy you’re going to get lost.” Piers made a face in response to the comment.

“It’s a small town; I doubt I’m going to get lost that easily.” _I wish he wouldn’t call me that in public._ He lightly punched Jake in his side, even though he knew he didn’t need to hold back. Jake was sturdier than most of the rogues he’s known.

Jake chuckled and gestured to a wooden door, “We’re here, come on.” Piers looked from Jake to the door, then to the sign nearby.

“The Better Town Tavern?” Piers let the name sink in before he muffled his laughter against the edges of his scarf. “That sounds promising.”

“A little optimistic in my opinion.” The comment from Jake only encouraged his laughter.

They walked into the tavern and Piers felt the difference almost immediately. He could just barely hear the fire crackling over by a far off wall; it filled the tavern with warmth that quickly chased the cold air away. There was a small crowd inside; eating, drinking and some were even gambling or looking over maps. He could hear music from across the room, spotting the performer positioned on the small stage.

The bartender noticed them as they stepped inside, a Half-Orc Piers noted. He tossed the small towel he had been using to dry a tankard with over his shoulder, giving the two a friendly wave. Piers followed Jake towards the bar without a word.

“Back again I see, I thought you were done helping out for the day. Got your money last I checked, unless you actually came for somethin else.” Jake sat down on one of the stools, Piers looked over the tavern some more. Taking in the sights and letting the warmth sink in further before he finally sat down beside his companion.

“We came to eat, you do have food right?” Jake smirked at the bartender as Piers looked between them.

“Yeah, we got food here; better than whatever you’ve been eating since you got here.” His gaze found Piers and he quirked his brow at him. “You with him kid?”

Piers bristled slightly, “I’m older than he is, and yes I’m with him.” He tugged on his scarf, the bartender shrugging off the comment.

“You’re both kids to me, I don’t care either way. Want anythin to drink while ya wait?” Jake made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Don’t let him rile you up Puppy.” The bartender chuckled and walked off, probably to give the order to someone in charge of handling food before coming back with two tankards filled with a golden beverage. He set the tankards down in front of them; walking off to handle another customer.

Piers picked up the handle off the tankard and took a slow curious sip, his eyebrows rising slightly. _Apple cider? It’s delicious._ He glanced over at Jake as he slowly drank the cider, savoring the beverage. Jake seemed to notice he was being stared at, his gaze meeting Piers’.

“Apparently they get their apples from that old farmer you’ve been helping. They’re supposed to be sweeter than a normal apple.” Piers listened, thinking the words over with a slow nod. _It must be difficult to grow apples in winter; I didn’t notice any orchards there._ His gaze shifted back to his tankard in thought. _Maybe it’s not warm enough for them to bear fruit, that would make sense._

The bartender soon returned and set two bowls down in front of them, it was some kind of stew as far as Piers could tell. There was meat and some potatoes that floated in and out of his view in the thick broth. The bartender set down some bread as well; it smelled like it was freshly baked. “On the house, since you’ve been such a big help with the festival prep; you’ve earned it.”

Piers heard his own stomach growl as he stared down at the delicious smelling food. Jake made a gesture with his hand and said something that he didn’t pay attention to. He picked up the spoon and helped himself to a bite of the stew. The warmth was welcome, and the taste of the meat and potatoes glided across his taste buds; he chewed happily. 

“This is delicious.” It was better than anything he’s ever made before, _it almost reminds me of home._

_  
_

The bartender and Jake had paused their conversation that Piers hadn’t been listening to, to stare at him. Piers hadn’t noticed the staring until he reached for a slice of bread. 

The staring had him very puzzled though, and he almost felt uncomfortable. “What?”

Jake smirked and reached over ruffling Piers’ hair with a chuckle. “It’s nothing puppy.” Piers made a face around the slice of bread, swatting at the hand with his free one. He turned his attention back to his food, not that he had to look directly at Jake to know he still had that smug smile on his face.

He tried not to eat too quickly, savoring each bite he took. The bread was a little dry, despite how fresh it was but he discovered when he combined it with the stew it tasted even better. Once he was finished eating the warm meal he stretched, his stomach and heart feeling fuller than they had in a long time.

The bartender was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the two of them enjoy their meal. Piers resuming the slow drinking of his cider, “I can see why he calls you Puppy.” 

Piers made a face in response to being called that by the bartender but before he could say something the sound of a tankard hitting the counter harder than it should have caused their attention to shift to Jake.

Jake moved to his feet and started walking towards the door before Piers even realized what was happening. “Thanks for the food, come on puppy; we’re heading back.” Piers blinked and as the words sank in he quickly set his tankard of cider down on the counter, moving to his feet. He gave a nod to the bartender politely.

“The stew was delicious, thank you for the food and the cider.” The bartender flashed him another bright smile.

“You’re welcome, be sure to come back during the festival. I’d be happy to feed ya again.” Piers returned the smile before turning and quickly following after where he had seen Jake disappear. He found Jake outside of the tavern, leaned against the wall waiting for him.

“What was that about Jake?”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” _It didn’t seem like nothing, I wonder what it really was._ Piers didn’t ask though, and they walked the rest of the way to the cabin in silence. The silence was far less pleasant than the earlier one; the question lingering in the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the level of filler this chapter probably feels like. I hate to admit it was slight filler.  
> Fun facts I learned while writing this: Piers is older than Jake (He's 25 and Jake's 24)  
> This chapter was 6 pages long according to word.
> 
> As another note, I've made an ask blog for this AU of Piers. I'm sure you've got questions or headcanons you probably want answers to. Feel free to ask, or even share them with me on there. If you've got questions for myself or my friend who is going to draw the comic make it known you're asking us. You're also welcome to share any fan art you drew based on it there as well. https://askpricelesspiers.tumblr.com (Shameless advertising. I'm sorry.)


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Moon festival brings with it more questions and a familiar face.

The festival decorations were beautiful, the glimpse of them Piers had seen the night before had not done them justice.

There were floating paper lanterns each designed to resemble phases of the moon. The low lantern light bringing a smile to his face as one floated by him. There was an assortment of food, clothing and jewelry stands as far as he could see. A chorus of voices calling out to passerby’s while music filled the air along with the smell of baked goods.

“Piers come on; this way! This way!” He felt the children grab his hands and pull him further down the rows of stands with light laughter. His smile never faltered as he kept pace with them, his gaze sweeping over even more stalls.

They passed by a lot of the food stands, each scent that reached him smelling even better than the one before. He even noticed the bartender from the previous night selling cider at one of the stands, his pace slowing so he could talk with him.

Heidi looked up at him and pulled on his hand again, eager to keep moving. “We want to go see the dancers, come on or we’ll miss it!” Piers looked to them, and gave a small smile.

“Alright, how about you both go on ahead and I’ll catch up with you as soon as I’m done talking.” The little girl pouted up at him.

“Do you promise?”

“I promise, remember to stick together.” She nodded, giving a bright smile; grabbing her brothers’ hand and running off. He watched them run off along the long line of stands towards a stage that was out of sight where the music played.

“I didn’t think I’d get to see ya again, Puppy was it?” The bartender was rather chipper as he spoke up. “Ya came with Banods grand kids too, how is that old man holdin up?”

“Actually, my name is Piers. It’s nice to see a familiar face.” He paused as the bartender quirked a brow.

“Coulda sworn your name was Puppy, the way your friend kept callin ya that. It’s no hair off my back, sure explains his reaction to my teasin though.” There was a wide grin on the man’s face and Piers’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?” The man waved off the question, the smile never faltering.

“Not my answer to give, so I guess you’re lookin for your friend.” Piers wanted to argue that they weren’t friends, but honestly he didn’t know where he stood with Jake; he never asked him. “Your friend is here somewhere. Pretty sure the Mayor asked him to work security or somethin like that. You’re bound to run into him at some point; want some cider to go? You can give it to him when ya see him. He’ll probably appreciate it.”

“Sure, I’ll give it to him if I see him.” The man gave a nod and filled a tankard with the cider. Piers paid for it with what little gold he had been saving since he started traveling with Jake, Banod had been paying him for all his help; though it wasn’t a lot. The bartender took it without complaint and waved him off with that bright grin on his face.

Piers continued walking, no longer pulled by the excited children he had more of an opportunity to look more closely at some of the items displayed at each stand. His pace slowed down as he leaned closer to look at some jewelry displayed. They were well crafted pieces, each one was incredibly detailed and their source of inspiration was obvious. The silver stars reflected in the lantern light, looked like they were twinkling.

“Looking to buy a gift for your lover?” Piers flushed a bright red and quickly shook his head, careful not to spill any of the cider in the tankard he was carrying.

“No sir, I was merely curious. I have no lover, they are finely crafted though.”

“My wife made them, finest jeweler this side of Esthaia.” Piers looked sincerely impressed by the claim, a smile forming on his expression.

“I don’t know much about jewelry, but your wife has the finest craftsmanship I’ve ever seen. Please give her my compliments.”

“You’re quite the polite one my boy. You’ll make a fine husband someday, I’m sure any lady would feel lucky to have ya. I’ll be certain to tell me wife ya spoke highly of her work.”

Piers rubbed at the back of his neck embarrassed, tugging at his scarf. “Thank you for your kind words sir.” He started walking away from the stand as the man kept talking.

“You enjoy the rest of the festival! Fireworks will be set off later; you’ll not want to miss em!” _A fireworks display? That sounds like it’ll be nice._ Piers thought about it as he walked, letting his mind wander as he listened to the music that filled the air around him.

“The boy with the blood of wolves.” He froze in place, pulled from his thoughts at those words. His grip tightening around the tankard. He hesitated before turning to look at the elderly woman that called out to him.

Her stand was much smaller than the others, decorated in crystals that hung from chains. The stones were all shaped like stars in a variety of colors. A silver cloth covered her stand, and a deck of cards sat in the center of the table. He moved closer, his feet moving slowly. He couldn’t see the faces of the cards, only the intricate backsides. _An artist of great talent must have put much of their time into the design to capture such beauty of the stars; they almost look real._

_It’s so beautiful._ “You’re a long way from home young ranger. Esthaia is not the place of your birth, yet the hands of fate have brought you here.” Her voice was like a chiming bell, the words unnerved him but his body never tensed.

“That’s true, but how do you know this?” He reached up to adjust his scarf, keeping his gaze on her veiled face.

“The stars told me, they tell me a great many things. Would you like to hear what they say?” Piers hesitated, biting his bottom lip. _Not all fortune tellers are truly gifted, there were times a fortune teller led us astray when we had to consult them; but, it couldn’t hurt to listen to what she has to say._

He sighed, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What else do they say about me?” _Why am I so nervous? I shouldn’t be nervous._

The elderly woman smiled behind her veil, her hands gliding over the beautiful deck of cards. As her wrinkled fingers brushed over the cards he swore he saw them twinkle. She shuffled and arranged them in a spread that Piers felt had a purpose.

As Piers watched as each card was set into place, his heart began racing; the sound filling his ears. It almost hurt his head to listen to, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. The woman only stopped once the cards were all set into place. He could feel her staring at him, like she could see right through him.

“Breathe, the stars will reveal everything.” Piers looked up, meeting her gaze; he could tell she was smiling; even though he couldn’t see it. He took a deep breath, feeling the tension leaving him slowly. His gaze fell back to the cards on the table, watching as each card was revealed. The faces just as beautiful as their backsides.

“I see, the stars tell quite the story about you; young ranger. The lies of your ancestry, the lies you continue to believe about yourself even now. You are not alone though, there is another; they have a fire within them, that fire will give you strength, and grant an unseen wish.” She paused as Piers’ brows furrowed. “There is a lion that fights a never ending battle against the shadows. A source of strength and pride for those who look upon the light he carries, there will come a time when your paths will cross; and you must face your fears.”

The weight of those words formed a knot in his stomach, his throat feeling dryer than it had a moment ago. _What does that mean?_ The woman was smiling again and he could feel her gaze on him once more. “Enjoy the rest of the festival young ranger. We will surely meet again, when the Whippoorwills sing.”

He stared back at her, meeting the veiled gaze. Piers reached into his coin pouch, pulling out some gold to give her. “Please keep your money, this reading was a gift.” He hesitated before setting out the coins on the stand.

“I’d feel bad if I didn’t pay you for the reading. I know I don’t have much, but please accept it.” She chuckled lightly, the sound was rather lovely. Then she accepted the gold coins, cradling them in her wrinkled hands.

“You are a kind soul. The stars spoke true, the fiery one must have noticed as well.” Piers’ brows furrowed again, _fiery one?_ “You will understand in time. Go now, he’s waiting for you.”

Piers adjusted his scarf, quickly bowing before turning back down the path he had been traveling. He wasn’t walking for very long, trying to make sense of the woman’s words. _The lies of my ancestry, the same lie I’ve been telling myself? What could it be?_

His steps slowed, his eyes widening, staring towards a nearby stand. Familiar armor gleaming in the lantern light, as a familiar voice reached his ears. “Have you heard or seen any strange activities as of recently? We are looking into a request about handling a witch that has been slaughtering innocents and turning them into ghouls. There were witnesses who claimed to have seen her traveling this way.”

Piers was frozen in place, his gaze faraway as the memory flooded back to him.

_The ruins were crumbling; he felt the cold metal brush against his hands as he pushed his Captain out of the crumbling ruin. There wasn’t enough time to save them both._

_  
_

He has to live, they need him. He felt tears fill his eyes, and he forced a smile. “I’m sorry Captain.”

_“Piers!” Then everything went black._

Piers wasn’t certain when he had dropped the tankard of cider, only that when he had come to; Piers felt warmer than usual, and his fingers were tangled in a familiar cloak; his face partially pressed against it. There was a strong grip against his shoulder, holding him close. The grip and the warmth made him feel safe, safer than he had ever felt in years.

Piers slowly looked up, his hazel gaze falling on Jakes face. Jake wasn’t looking at him, his gaze focused off to the side where the lanterns continued to float just out of his own line of sight. “Jake?” The taller man looked from the lantern lit path to Piers; Piers swore he almost saw a flicker of concern on the mercenaries face.

“Welcome back to reality Puppy. You almost got trampled by some excited kids, we can’t exactly afford a healer; not that there’s one here. So I pulled you out of the way. What happened back there? You looked like you saw a ghost.” The grip on his shoulder loosened and Piers looked towards the faint lantern light.

“I thought I saw someone I knew.” He paused and shook his head, loosening his grip on Jakes cloak. “It was probably just my imagination though.” _I can’t tell him I thought I saw Captain Redfield. He might try to convince me to go back, or even trick me into approaching him._

“Piers.” Piers felt the grip on his shoulder tighten again, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Sorry, I’m alright.” It was a lie, a poor one; but Piers hoped Jake wouldn’t notice. “I was just thinking about what the fortune teller said.”

“Fortune Teller? There’s no fortune teller here.” Piers stared at Jake for a long moment, his expression puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“I helped set up the stands, none of them belonged to a fortune teller. I would have remembered that.”

“That can’t be right; she was an old woman wearing a veil. Her stand had these crystal stars.” Jake quirked his brow at him and Piers pulled free of his grip. “I’ll take you to her, you’ll see.”

He could see Jake shrug from the corner of his eye, as he slipped out of the darkened alley they had been standing in; back out to the lantern lit pathways. Piers looked around, trying to recognize the stands in the dying candle light. Following the pathway from his memory, he could hear Jake following close behind him; far less in a hurry.

He picked up his pace slightly, until he stopped right where he remembered the old woman had been.

There was nothing there, just a gap between stands. His eyes widened slowly as he stared at the spot. “I don’t understand, I could have sworn.”

“I told you, I never saw anyone matching that description. Come on Puppy; let’s go before we miss it.”

Piers turned to look at Jake, his brow quirked. “Miss what?”

“You’ll see.” Piers made a face in response to Jakes amused smirk, and took the hand extended towards him. He followed him along the path to the center of town that had been cleared out. They stopped just at the edge of where a crowd had gathered, all staring towards the sky expectantly.

Piers looked around the large crowd, before looking up at Jake. Jake glanced at him and gestured towards the sky with the jerk of his head. Piers looked up in time to see the first bloom of color that had followed a loud pop. His hazel eyes widened as he stared in awe at the beautiful sight.

There were more pops and with each pop a burst of color bloomed in the sky before disappearing. This continued for several moments, until the sky was still once more. The fireworks display had pulled everyone’s attention to it. _Sometimes I forget how beautiful the stars are. He stared for a moment longer, feeling the warmth of Jakes hand in his own._

_  
_

Not many people remained after the fireworks display; those that did had found a comfortable position and were stargazing. Others returned home, or helped with cleaning up from the festival. “I should find Heidi and Rici; I promised Banod I would return them home safely.” He released Jakes hand, feeling the cold air contrast from the warmth of his hand.

“I need to go talk to the mayor about my payment.” Piers heard Jake pause and turned to look at him, “After you get them home make sure everything is packed. We’re leaving in the morning.” That caused Piers to hesitate as he stared at Jake.

“Did something happen?”

“No.” He met Piers’ gaze, quirking a brow. “Nothing happened; this is just how mercenary work is. You can stay if you want, but I’m leaving in the morning; with or without you.” Piers shook his head.

“I’m coming with you; you just caught me off guard with the timing was all.” He felt Jakes hand on his head, the warmth sinking in past his hair as it was ruffled.

“I’ll meet you back at the cabin.” The hand left, taking the warmth with it as Piers stared after him. He didn’t remain still for very long, remembering his promise to the old farmer and calling out for the children as he moved about the center.

Thankfully they were together and heard his calls; quickly rejoining him with warm laughter caused him to smile. They walked back to the farm on the outskirts; Piers listening as they told him about the performances the bards had put on, then talking about the fireworks display.

Banod greeted them with a warm smile outside his home. The children rushing over to him, hugging the elder man with their excitement. Piers spoke with Banod for a short time, telling him that they would be leaving in the morning and that he was grateful he let them stay as long as he had. Banod gave a nod of understanding, and gave Piers three days worth of rations for their travels before wishing him the best.

Piers smiled warmly, thanked him again; and then said his farewells to the children as well before returning to the cabin. Piers checked their bags, making certain everything was packed. Once he was finished, he let himself fall onto the cot, the last remnants of his energy draining away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was so stress inducing, you all will never know. I wanted to make it absolutely perfect.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like fighting for your life to bring you closer together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry.

Piers pulled the arrow free of the ground with a sigh. They had been on the road for three days; Jake had them abandon the main road after the first two days due to an ambush by bandits. The forest wasn’t any safer, Piers wasn’t surprised though he had seen the warning signs. The way the animals had grown quiet so suddenly, the chill in the air that slipped past the warmth of his cloak.

He reached up and tugged at his scarf, examining the arrow. Spectres were a pain; the fact that there had been four of them and so far from a ruin or a graveyard had caught him by surprise. _I should make certain neither of us is hurt. I don’t think I took any hits though, nothing hurts and I don’t feel more tired than usual._ Piers looked from his arrow to where Jake stood.

“Jake are you alright? They didn’t hit you did they?” Jake looked away from the path partially hidden by bushes he had found.

“I didn’t give them the chance to, I’ve been up against worse.” Piers knew he wasn’t wrong, they both had fought worse than spectres. He had seen the way Jake had fought, though now he was fighting alongside him and could see it from a different perspective than he had back then.

Now it was different, Jake wasn’t a temporary ally or someone he had to ensure the safety of from a distance. Now, Piers almost considered him to be a friend. The word didn’t feel strange to use anymore, Jake was reliable and Piers’ first impressions of the mercenary had changed slightly. Though there were still times Piers wanted to punch or yell at him.

Piers shook the thoughts from his mind, focusing on collecting his arrows that he could still find. “I just wanted to make sure. Spectres are still dangerous, they can drain some-“ Piers heard the thump behind him and whirled around to see Jake laying face down. “Jake?”

His feet were moving before his thoughts had caught up to the rest of him. He gripped Jakes shoulder and carefully turned him over onto his back. Jake grunted and brushed at his hand, “I’m fine.”

“Liar; if you were fine you wouldn’t have collapsed.” Piers frowned down at him, before trying to help him sit upright.

“I’m just a little tired Puppy, it’s nothing to worry about.” Jake chuckled, flicking his head as he sat up.

“So they did hit you.” Piers sighed and looked around. “We should make camp, so you can rest and get your energy back.”

“I said I’ll be fine.” Piers stared at him, his expression mirroring his disbelief.

“You need to rest Jake, we’ve been on the road for three days now and we’ve only made camp once. You were hit by a spectre, you need the rest.” That earned a sigh from Jake and Piers’ lips quirked upward slightly, the back of Jakes head leaning against his shoulder as he raised his hands in surrender.

“You win Puppy, we’ll make camp.” Piers’ smirk shifted into a warm smile. Jake shifted against him, attempting to stand on his own. He was a little off balance and Piers kept an eye on him, prepared to catch him if he collapsed again.

Jake was walking fine, picking up his bag. “We should find a better spot; somewhere less out in the open.” Piers nodded and rose to his feet, retrieving the last of his arrows and following after Jake with relative ease.

“It’ll be difficult finding a lot of cover. If we find a cave though it’ll be safer than sleeping out in the open; easier to start a fire to keep us warm.”

“Not afraid of what else we’ll find in a cave?” Piers huffed a laugh.

“I’m not worried about animals, if I need to I can convince them to leave us be; anything else, we can handle a fight. If I have to I’ll protect you, so you can sleep without worrying.” He meant it too, and the way Jake stared at him caught him by surprise. “What is it?”

Jake shook his head with a chuckle, ruffling Piers’ hair. “It’s nothing.” Piers made a face at having his hair ruffled, tugging at his scarf as he looked away from Jake. His cheeks felt slightly warmer than they normally should.

“You’re a bad liar Jake.”

“I’m an excellent liar.”

“I don’t believe you, even for a second.” He listened as Jake chuckled, a small smile forming behind his scarf.

“Whatever you say Puppy.” Piers chuckled as they continued their search for a good spot to make camp. His gaze sweeping over the forest, there were few tracks in the snow. Most of the tracks were common to see during winter that set Piers’ mind at ease.

It took some time before they finally found a cave, hidden under a mound of snow and behind some bushes also covered in snow. It was well hidden; Piers had almost missed it completely. He reached over and gripped the edge of Jakes cloak to get his attention and lead him towards the cave. “It’s not the largest cave but it should be safe enough for tonight.”

“Cozy.” Piers fought back a chuckle, shaking his head.

“Don’t get too attached, this could be a den.” Piers released the edges of Jakes cloak, stepping inside. Jake had to duck so he didn’t hit his head, Piers hid his smirk behind his scarf.

“I’ll get a fire started, go ahead and get some rest.” Piers set his bag down against the cave wall, Jake stared after him, as Piers moved towards the cave entrance. “I’ll be back before it gets dark.” It was a promise he intended to keep, and he turned to look at Jake.

“If you’re not back before then I’ll come looking for you.” Piers gave a nod, and a salute moving through the bushes away from the cave.

His boots crunched in the snow, he collected the dryer sticks he found. After several minutes he had a decent enough stack to carry back with him. On the return trip he covered up his tracks until he was back at the edge of the cave.

Jake looked like he was sleeping, his head resting against the cave wall. Piers set the stack of sticks down, using his flint and steel to light the fire. Once the fire was lit, he removed his cloak; looking over to where Jake was sleeping. He gripped the cloak, moving quietly over to him and covering him with it, doing his best not to wake him.

A small smile formed on his expression, then he returned to the campfire; making himself comfortable beside it. _I’ll keep watch for now; it should give him plenty of time to rest. He tugged on his scarf, the fire chasing the cold away. Piers watched the sky steadily darken, and then checking the condition of his bow and arrows._

_  
_

A snap off in the distance caught his attention, his head jerking upright. He tightened his grip on his composite long bow, nocking an arrow. Piers inched closer to the edge of the cave, squinting into the darkness.

Lights flashed before his eyes, as Piers felt a strong blow slam against his stomach. The air was forced from his lungs, and he fell onto the cold cave floor.

Piers coughed, his grip briefly loosening against his bow. His vision was still swimming as he forced himself to look up at his assailant, tensing at the sight.

An ogre dressed in hide armor loomed over him, making his way into the cave. By the look of his great club he must have been a barbarian. Piers held perfectly still as the figure slowly made its way into the cave. _He probably saw the fire, Dammit. I was careless; I knew things had gotten too quiet. I need to wake Jake up._

_  
_

He winced, reaching for the arrow that had fallen free of his bow, careful not to draw its attention. His fingers brushed against the edge of the feathers, pulling the arrow back to his bow. The Ogre hadn’t noticed yet, and Piers slowly sat upright the Ogres back facing him.

Piers took aim at an opening, taking in a steadying breath. “Get away from him!” There was a growl that escaped him, the arrow flying into the back of the Ogres neck, earning a loud roar of pain as his arrow hit its target.

The Ogre turned to face him, anger filling its eyes. The large creatures arm swinging for him, Piers ducking just in time causing it to punch the wall just above his head. _Too close._ Jake threw Piers’ cloak over the Ogres eyes giving them an advantage.

Piers nocked another arrow, dodging as the ogre blindly swung at them both; watching Jake take a blow that knocked him off balance. _Shit,_ Piers shot at the Ogre, the arrow missing his target as he quickly moved over to where Jake had fallen, helping him back to his feet. Jake took a swing with his dagger at the Ogre, just barely missing his target.

“I’m at a disadvantage in such an enclosed space. We should lure him back out of the cave.” Jakes lips curled into that familiar smirk.

“Sounds like a plan.” Piers smiled in response, dodging as the Ogre’s arm swung towards them. They both had an easier time avoiding taking a blow that time.

Piers released Jake so he could climb up into a tree, careful of his footing and nocking another arrow. Now to get his attention; he took aim and shot at the Ogre, catching the cloak. The Ogre turned to face them, no longer blinded by the cloak; growling.

Its booted feet stamping out the fire much to Piers’ annoyance, he quickly nocked another arrow as the Ogre swung at Jake; slamming the mercenary into a tree with his great club. Piers tensed, feeling a growl escape his throat. Jake was likely unconscious, but Piers couldn’t tell for certain from his position in the tree. Something felt wrong though, he could feel something stir within him; wrapping his arms around himself tightly.

_It’s happening again! Not again! I don’t want him to see me like this!_ There was no stopping it; Piers stared down at his hands, watching his nails grow longer. He could feel the change in his face, could feel the length of his hair grow longer. _Dammit!_

Piers took aim again, his teeth clenching as he fired an arrow into the Ogre earning a roar of pain in response. He watched Jake get back to his feet, and released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

Jake swung at the Ogre with his dagger, and Piers could hear the roar of pain as the blade hit its target. The Ogre fell to its knees, _time to end this._

Piers fired a final arrow into the Ogres skull, right between its eyes. The Ogre fell back, lifeless. Piers felt the tension leave his shoulders, almost falling from the branch exhausted from the adrenaline leaving his body. He quickly caught himself while Jake checked the Ogre for any treasure.

Piers tried to use the darkness as cover until he could appear normal again. “Find anything?”

“Two-Hundred gold pieces, nothing else though.” Piers could hear the brief jingle of the coins before Jake hid them away in his coin pouch, moving closer to where Piers was perched. “You can come down now Puppy, the fights over.”

“I think I’ll stay in the tree for now. I’m still on watch, you took some pretty bad hits though. Go ahead and get some rest in the cave.” Jake was staring up at him, and Piers pulled his scarf further up to partially hide his face.

“What are you hiding Puppy?”

“I’m not hiding anything.” It was a bad lie, and they both knew it. Piers wanted to kick himself.

“Now who’s the bad liar?” Piers felt a sudden grip on his leg, pulling him out of the tree and onto the cold ground at Jakes feet with a wince. His long nails pressing against the scarf to keep it in place as Jake leaned closer.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a monster.” Piers was startled as a familiar warmth pressed against his cheeks, forcing him to meet Jakes gaze. The scarf had fallen free of his grip, revealing his wolf-like features.

“You’re not a monster.” Piers’ eyes widened slightly, as he stared back at Jake. “What happened to you?”

Piers swallowed, his throat felt tight. “You remember that night? The night Captain Redfield and I rescued you and Sherry from the ruins.” Jake nodded, and Piers took a slow breath; thinking of how to explain what happened. The warmth of Jakes hands never left his cheeks, he could tell he was returning to normal.

“After you both escaped, Captain Redfield and I lured the abomination away. It was faster than we expected it to be, we reached this room; there was a layer of water, possibly from a nearby source. The ruins were falling apart around us, the creature it.” Piers paused, shaking lightly as he focused on the memory. “I heard it give this roar, the next thing I knew I was over by a wall. Captain Redfield was in danger, I don’t know what caused it. Whether it was something the creature had done, or some spell that witch Ada had used earlier. I just remember feeling desperate, I couldn’t feel my arm. The Captain needed me, and I suddenly changed shape; like some wild beast possessed me.”

Piers paused, his shaking having stopped as he stared down at his own hands. The tension leaving his shoulders; “It’s probably some curse she placed on me. I’ve tried so hard to keep it secret ever since it happened.”

Jake was quiet for a long time, his hands moving from his cheeks to Piers’ shoulders; he helped Piers to his feet. “Then we’ll find answers, until then I’ll keep reassuring you about this. You’re not a monster.” Piers looked up as Jake ruffled his hair, he was shocked by those words and it showed on his face. “Come on Puppy, it’s my turn to keep watch. You need to get some sleep; I’m not going to catch you if you collapse on the road.”

Piers made a face at that, following after him back to the cave. “If anyone needs sleep it’s you, you’re the one who was slammed into the tree by a great club.” Jake shook his head with a chuckle, a small smile forming on Piers’ expression at the sound. 

It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you guys figured out Piers' race yet? I've been dropping so many hints.  
> For those of you curious: I roll actual dice for the combat to figure out the combat flow.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dire Wolverines attack. (Have I mentioned I'm bad at summaries? Cause I'm bad at summaries.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I took so long to provide you with this chapter. It took a long time to write it. Originally a lot more was going to happen but I decided to branch it into the next chapter since it felt like this chapter was dragging on a bit.

Chapter 5

Piers tugged on the edges of his scarf, adjusting it slightly as they walked. His thoughts far away as he stared ahead; the fortune tellers words still haunted him, and he continued to try making sense of them. _The lies of my ancestry, lies I continue to tell myself. What does that mean?_

He combed his fingers through his hair, ducking under a branch he almost walked into. His gaze shifting from the path to Jake for a moment. _Should I ask Jake? Maybe he'll have an easier time making sense of it._

Piers heard a noise that halted his question before it ever left his throat. A crossbow bolt whizzing by his head as Jake pulled him out of the bolts path. He heard the sound of something falling to the ground with a light thud, whirling around to look at what Jake had taken out with the bolt. A Dire Wolverine lay crumpled, partially hidden by a snow covered bush; five others soon emerging from close by where their companion had fallen.

_Shit, why now? I should have noticed them so close by!_ Piers reached back, preparing his composite longbow.

Jake cursed as one of his bolts missed their target, the dire wolverine dodging the new bolt. The Wolverines didn't give them time to prepare a shot, two of them lunging at them. Piers brought up his arm, grateful for the armors protection as it took most of the attack. He could hear Jake curse again and toss the creature off of himself.

Piers took a shot at the dire wolverine closest to him, missing his target with a grunt of annoyance. Narrowly avoiding being hit with the wolverine Jake threw off of his arm. He could tell Jake was getting irritated, and he shifted his footing.

Three more wolverines lunged for them, joining the first two. Three of them focused on Jake, clawing at the rogue as he gave up on using his crossbow to handle the fight. Piers could barely focus on Jake as a Wolverine bit him, swinging at the creature with his longbow.

Piers finally got a hit on one of the wolverines, the creature releasing him with the blow. He managed to force the other wolverine away, shifting to grab his shortsword. He heard another thud as Jake took out another of the dire wolverines. _Only four left._

Piers felt a sharp pain in his leg as one of the wolverines bit into him, almost losing his footing. The second wolverine that had been focused on him swiping at his side with a claw. _Dammit, shouldn't let my guard down._ "You alright Puppy?" Jake almost sounded worried about him. Piers gripped the hilt of his shortsword giving a nod through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, I'm fine." It was a lie, but he hoped Jake wouldn't notice that.

Piers swung the blade out swiftly, cutting down one of the wolverines with a ragged breath. He was still unsteady due to the bite he took earlier but he should be able to keep going. He couldn't look back to check on Jake, his focus needed to stay on the wolverine in front of him.

The dire wolverine lunged at him, but he was able to dodge it easier this time. He could tell it was getting tired, it had taken several blows from him already. He spared a glance towards Jakes fight, he seemed to be handling his two well enough.

Piers took another swing at the dire wolverine that he faced down. It was knocked down but was soon back up on its feet. Piers clenched his teeth at the sight; _Why won't you just go down already?_ The dire wolverine lunged at him again, and he moved out of the way of the attack; his new angle letting him have a clearer view of Jakes fight, one of the dire wolverines falling from the blow of his cestus.

Piers turned back to the dire wolverine giving a final swing of his shortsword, slaying the creature with a grunt. It fell to the ground with a light thud, falling still and the sight caused Piers to relax slightly. He returned the shortsword to its sheathe, and turned to check on Jake as the mercenary began collecting his crossbow bolts.

_He doesn't look hurt too badly, I'm glad. I can't say the same for me though, my leg stings. I should find a healer, hopefully there is one in the next town, until then I hope he doesn't notice._

Jake was staring towards him, and Piers quirked a brow. "What is it?"

"Are you alright?" Piers tugged on his scarf.

"I'm alright, my leg stings a bit. It's nothing I can't handle, you don't need to worry." Piers forced a smile, hoping the lie was convincing enough.

Jake was quiet for a long moment, moving closer to Piers the longer the silence stretched on for. Piers adjusted his scarf, wincing slightly as the shifted weight had been moved to his injured leg; he took in a slow breath through his nose.

"I'll be fine, really. It's nothing I can't handle, we can look for a healer in town." He was grateful his injured side wasn't as much of a hinderance, it hurt but he could ignore it for the most part. "I won't slow you down." Jake didn't say anything, he was standing close to Piers. The height difference between them becoming something Piers was increasingly aware of.

"We don't know how long it'll be until then. The blood could attract other monsters to us." Piers felt some of the tension leave him at those words. That hadn't been what he expected to hear.

"I'll bandage my injuries the next time we have a moment."

"We have a moment now." Piers made a face in response, before arguging further. It was pointless to try and fight Jake on the decision, Jake wasn't going to budge anytime soon.

Piers shifted his weight again, moving the weight off his injured leg as he turned away from Jake to look for a clear spot, or even a rock to sit on. Thankfully he found a spot and moved over to sit on the rock so he could get a better look at the injury to his leg.

"Can I borrow your dagger for a moment?" He caught the small blade as it was tossed to him, using it to cut strips of cloth from his cloak to use as temporary bandages for his leg and side. Bandaging his side was a lot harder to do under the armor, but he managed it. _This should do the trick, for now at least. I'm not a healer though; I'll have to be careful not to apply a lot of pressure to it._

Piers tossed the dagger back to Jake and slid off the rock, planting his feet firmly on the snow covered grass. "Alright, this should be fine." Jake glanced at him, and Piers almost wanted to ask what he was thinking before he turned away.

"Come on Puppy." _I wish he would stop calling me that._ Piers shifted his weight to his good leg, following Jakes lead through the snowy forest.

Piers could tell they were nearing the end of the forest, more light was peeking through the trees; at least that was his hope that's what it meant.

_Forests in winter are beautiful, but I like them more in spring. They're more alive in spring. The forest back home in Astaria is beautiful in the spring, it always felt so-_ Piers steps halted as a thought came to him suddenly. _The lies of my ancestry, I never asked my grandfather about our ancestors._ His expression softened, _How long has it been since I've seen him?_ His fingers brushed against his scarf, staring at a patch of snow in the distance. The rustle of leaves pulling him out of his thoughts. "Good news, there's a town up ahead. Less than a days walk from here." Piers turned to look at Jake, his hand falling back to his side.

"That's good, we should get moving. If we're lucky we can get there before night fall."

"How's your leg?" Piers blinked in surprise at the question. It had caught him off guard, in truth it ached terribly. Despite his attempts to keep weight off of it, it was harder to avoid during their journey; especially when his injured side would flare with pain in protest.

"My leg is fine, I won't fall behind." _It'll hurt but I'm stronger than the pain. I was trained to endure worse; it isn't a complete lie._

Jake was quiet before shrugging and turning away. Piers kept pace with him, the pain that flared in his leg he ignored. With the new pace they had been right and they reached the edge of a light lava stream that marked the village of Fandralore.

The snow that fell was gathered at a safe distance from the warm glow of the lava, though the mere sight of the lava stream had surprised Piers. They way it appeared so natural, and as Piers moved closer to it he could easily confirm the stream was natural. Though the path it followed was mostly man-made; to keep it from flowing too far into the forest.

"Let's go." Jakes voice pulled him from his thoughts and he leaned away from the stream. He winced slightly when he felt a twinge of pain in his side with the movement, he forced the pain to the back of his mind as he picked up his pace to catch up with Jake.

The village itself wasn't very impressive, outside of the lava stream and a monument Piers had noticed resting in the center of the village. It looked old and the closer Piers got to it, he could tell it was of Dwarvish make. Though the glimpses of the scarecrows Piers had seen in the distance unnerved him. As they wandered the town looking for signs of a tavern or a healer, an obese elven man approached them with a wide welcoming smile.

"Greetins to you travelers, and welcome to Fandralore! What brings you both here? Might I ask where you're coming from?" The man spoke quickly and yet politely. Piers had hesitated for a moment, the mans common sounded practiced and he could still hear the pauses as if he had been careful of his wording.

"We've traveled quite the ways from Emberwood. We're looking for work and also hoped to find a healer, we ran into some dire wolverines in the forest and we're both injured." Piers had chosen to speak up, and the mans brown eyes brightened.

"Looking for work, are you adventurers then? I will admit it's rare to see such a small group of you. Fandralore will not turn away adventurers and I'm certain someone will have work for you in our village."

Piers hesitated for a moment before answering the mans questions. "Yes we are." Piers could feel Jakes gaze suddenly boring into him, and he fought the urge to meet his gaze. "That's good news that we should be able to find work here, if it's no trouble though; would you point us towards a healer so we can tend to our injuries."

"Oh yes, of course." Piers sighed with relief as the man lead them to the apothecary, he was still talking about the village and how the lava stream provided them with the medicinal plants that earned them their place on the map; he sounded quite proud. He continued to sing the towns praises until they finally parted ways outside of the apothecary.

Piers turned and his gaze finally met Jakes, he forced a small smile and quickly walked into the shop. He could tell they were going to have a talk once they were alone about his answer. Hopefully he could buy time until then to come up with a reason Jake would accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you that have stuck around with this fic, and to all of you who have left kudos thank you so much. I'm sure you guys still have questions about things like Piers' race and everything else. I promise answers will occur, in the future. I'm also certain you guys are frustrated with how long it takes me to provide you with these chapters.
> 
> I hope you all continue to enjoy and keep reading along with the adventures of Jake and Piers.

**Author's Note:**

> You're probably wondering what race everyone is, maybe I'll mention it in later chapters. We'll see as the story progresses.


End file.
